Electric gas-igniter for hot-water-circulating systems.



G. W. APPLER. ELECTRIC GAS IGNITER FOR HOT WATER CIRGULATING SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1911.

1,032,727. Patented July 16, 1912.-

/4 L 8 2 /0 a as 1 2 30 D 2, C 24 I, 27 f J f a n m I I J 2/ 32 24 i mm I ,4 TYI'ORIVE umrnnsrntrns PATENT OFFIQ GRAFTON w: APPLER, or Lyons; NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC eAs-remrnnron HOT-WATER-OIBGULATING SYSTEMS.

Application filed June 21', 1911. Serial Reissues,

To all who're 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GRAFTON W. AIPLER, of Lyons, in the county of Wayne, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Gas- Igniters for Hot-Water-Circulating Systoms, of which the following, taken in con- 1 nection'with the accompanying drawings, is

a full, clear, and exact description.

" This invention relates to certainimprovements 1n electric gas 1gn1ters for water heaters forming the basis of a hot water circulating system in which are connected one gas to the burner. In all of the heating or more faucets and suitable mechanism controlled by the opening and closing of'the faucet or faucetsfor regulating the flow of systems of this character now in common .use, it is customary to ignite the gas atnthe burner by means of a continuously burning pilot light which is connected to the main gas supply pipe by abypass around the main valve. It frequently happens that the building in which the heater is located willbe vacated for a considerable'period of time particularly during the summer months without shutting oif the pilot light which results in an expensive and unnecessary'j waste of gas, while on the other hand someinstances either when the house is var-. cated or occupied, the pilot light has been;

blown out by sudden drafts of air or. out off by the temporary closing of the'gas main or-pipe leading to the building in which the heater is installed-so'that when the gas. is

turned on in the mains, it will not only be allowed to escape through the pilot light jet without burningbut when any of the faucets are opened in any part of the buildallowed to escape from the burnerinto the adjoining room" and intime will permeate the whole building. This, of course, renders the use of a pilot light extremely dan-,

gerous both from inhalation and explosionof gas, and the main object of my present invention is to entirely eliminate the pilot light and its accompanying disadvantages and dangers by the use of an electric igniting device which is automatically brought into action to ignite the gas immediately upon the opening of any one or more of the faucets by which the gas supply to the burner is controlled, said igniting device ing, a considerably larger volume of gas isbeing'also automatically deenergized by'the closing of the faucet or faucets, thereby conserving the source of electric energy.

water by regulating the supply of gas to theignition. A still further object is the condition of the spark and circuit so that if the* current is not s'ufliciently strong to time the faucet is turned, thus warning the operator to shut off the water a om and avoid the escape of gas until the current or spark is restored toits working condition.

Other objects and uses will be'bl ought out in the following description."

. Inthe drawing-I have shown a diagrampart of a hot water circulating system together with my improved as ignitlng mechanism associated therewitl The water heater forming the basis of a desired form, size or construction but .usually 4 comprises a "relatively long coil of epipe arranged in anupright position within a suitable casing A- directly over a gas D' having inlet and outlet ports -b-'- other lengthwise, of the cylinder. -A piston valve -C is movable in the cylinder and isnormally held between the ports by a reofi'the passage of water' through the pipe heater-"coilis connected by a pipe to one end of a tube 2 containing a thermostatic bar +3 the opposite'end of said water circulating .system of pipes '5 having one or more faucets -6- connected v thereto.

able source of supply is connected to a valve Another object is to provide thermostati means for regulating the temperature of burner and automatically controlling its to provide means in proximity to each faucet for indicating,

produce the spark, suchgfact-will'be made apparent or indicated to theoperator at the a- The opposite onlowerg'end of the,

A gas pipe 7- leading from any avail- Specification of Letters Patent. P t nted July 16, 1-912.

matic ,view of a water heater, burner and v i so .hot'water circulatingsystem may be of any.

and -b arranged one in, advance of the tracting spring -0 so. as, to normally cut tube being connected by a pipe -'-4 to a.

chamber containing a valve -9- which is normally held-inits closed position by a spring '10,' the valve chamber ,-8--' being connected by a pipe 11-- to'an auxiliary valve chamber '-12-- containing a valve which is normally held in its open, position by a spring '-14. The auxillary valvechamber 12v is" connected by a pipe -15 to the burner -B for supplying gas thereto when the valve ."-9- is opened.

--The piston valve. is liltofiaed with, 'P

a valve stem -16-'-' extending through a gland inone end of the cylinder- -I and adapted to engage a similar valve stem l7- on the valve 9-- for opening the latter valve whenthe piston valve -C- is moved from itsnorma position against the action of the spring -c-. 4 V v When the faucets inthe hot water circulating system are all :closed, the pressure at 1 opposite sides of the piston valve C''is equal, thereby holding the piston valve in 1 its closed postion for cutting ofi the flow of ,25

water through the pipe 'a' but when any one or more ofthe faucetsarefopened relievin the pressure on the inside oithe' piston va ve C-, the greater pressure at the opposite side moves said piston against the action of .the spring c-, thereby forcing its rod against the adjacent end of the c0- axial valve rod -'-17- for opening the valve r9- and allowingthe gas to flow from the pipe-7 through the valve chambers- &- and -12- and pipe -+-15+ to the burner.

Arranged-in close proximity to and referably in the ath of escape of the gas rom the burner is an electric spark plug or terminals -20- forming a part of an electric sparking circuit -21- having thev usual spark coil 22 An electric switch ---23- is also connected in the primary circuit and is adapted to be closed y the opening of the water valve 'C energizing the 4 7s arking circuit and 'producinga spark at -t e terminals 20- for igniting the gas simultaneously with. the opening of the I water valve O and gas valve --9. This a 56 'electricswitch may be of any suitable con-' struction capable of being operated by the water controlling valve or any of the other movable parts a'ctua'ted'thereby and in this instance I have 'showna pair of terminals of the faucets '6,' it being understood.

that the contact piece -'24- is normally withdrawn toward the cylinder D- to the corresponding side of the intervening space between the terminals so that the switch is normally, open. In like manner I have shown a normall closed electric switch -'25 connected in the same primary circuit "preferabl in series'wvith the switch 23 and a apted to bevoperatediby the expansion and contraction of the thermo:

static bar Y3- which is surrounded by the heated water passing through the tube -2-. This switch -25-- is very similar to the 1 switch -23 inthat it is provided with a air of terminals arranged parallel with and in close proximity to a stem .-26 on the outer end of the thermostatic bar 3, said 'stem being provided with a contact piece -27' normally bridging the intervening space between the terminals of the switch '25- to-clo'se this portion of the igniting The stem 26. of thethermostatic bar 3 is-boaxial with and adapted to abut against a similar stem 28-' of the valve 13 so that when the bar 3 expands by the gradually increasing heat of the water passing through the tube 2'-, the stem -.-26- ,will be pressed against the stem -28- to '.close or partially close the valve -13- for reducing or cutting oii the sup ply of gas through the pipe 15-- to the Y urner' -'B, thereby regulating the temperature of the water to a predetermined degree and th's temperature may be increased or diminished by simply adjusting the bar 3 endwise by means of an ad justing screw 30- as shown at the right of the thermostatictube 2.

-Associated with each of the faucets --6 is an electrically" operated signal which,-in

this instance, consists of a buzzer 3l electrically connected by wires -32- in the same circuit with electric switches -35 and '36- in such manner that it will be energized only when the water is flowingthrough the adjacent faucet under which conditions the gas is flowing through the burner B The object of the indicator is to enable the operatorto determine whether or not the sparking circuit or current is in proper' working condition for producing the desired circuit at the burner and 1 for any reason the vindicator should fail to operate, it will warn the operator at once to shut" oil the faucet and thereby cut off the sup ply of gas to the'burne'r toprevent escape of such gas into the room in which the heating apparatus is installed. The indicator, however, is not absolutely essential tothe operation of my improved igniter and 15 only introduced as a precautionary measure to further reduce liability to explosion or other dangers arising from escape of'gas.

Under normal conditions or when any water is being drawn from either .ofthe faucets, the supply of water to the heater.

and also the supply of gas to the burner are cut oil but when one or more of the faucets Y are opened, the inequality of pressure on o poslte ends of the iston -C- produced '5 t ereby will cause said piston to be moved v heater, aecold water supply pipe leading to endwise' against the action of the spring -c--, thereby opening the gas valve --9- to permit the flow of gas to the burner -B-- an I at the same time operating the switch 23% to close the sparking circuit for igniting such s at the burner. At the same instant that thegas is ignited, the water is heated and allowed to flow through the thermostatic tube 2, thereby enveloping the thermostatic bar 3-- and passing it through the pipe system -5 and open faucets -.6-. Y

The heated water passing through the tube +2? operates to expand the thermostatic bar -3- endwise, thereby opening the electric switch and tending to close the auxiliary gasval'v' -13- against a j the action of the sprin -14- to reduce the supply-of gas to t e burner, thereby 2 lowering the'heat and operating to maintain a more uniform temperature of water and if. for any reason the water should exceed the predetermined degree, the bar --3,- will expand still more or sufliciently to entirely close the valve. Now, if one of the faucets should remain open with the gas supply cut off in the manner just described, it is evident I that the temperature of the water will lower and causethe thermostatic bar -3- to con- 7 5 tract toflagain open the auxiliary valve e13- and at the same time will close the electric switch -25--'to reignite'the gas, it being understood that while the thermostatic bar is operating to controlthe tempera- 40 tureof the water y regulating the supply of as, the water valve -C remains open an maintains the switch -'23-+ in its closed position so' that the temperature of the water is regulated solely by the thermo- .45 static bar. -3- while the water supply to the heater'and main gas supply to the burner. are controlled by the actlon of the, piston- The 'electric indicators for the' several faucets are shown as connected'in parallel,

, while the electricswitches 35- and -36 are shown as donnected in series, the switch being normally-open and adapted'to '.--be-closed instantly by the operation of the water valve caused by'the opening of one of the faucets'and may remain closed as long as the faucet is open. Under such ,conditions the electric'sw-itch .-36'= is normally closed but is adapted to be opened immediately upon the heating of the water suflicient' vto operate'the thermostat, said switch being alternately opened and closed, while the faucet isopened by the variable action of the thermostat so that if the buzzer operates under this closing of the circuit, it will indi- 'named circuit and having a si cate that the current is sufficient to: energize the spark coil and thereby produce the desired spark at the burner. l

What I claim is:

1. In a water heating system, a water the heater, a hot Water distributing pipe leading from the heater, a gas burner, a gas supply pipe for the burner, a valve in the cold water supply pipe operated by difl'ercut pressures at opposite sides thereof to control the water supply to the heater, a normally closed valve and a normally open valve both in the gas supply pipe, means operated by the water controlling valve for 30 opening the normally closed valve for automatically permitting the passage of gas through the normally open valve to the burner, an electric igniting device for the gas including a switch operated by the 35 water controlling valve, a thermostatic bar in the water distributing pipe, means actuated by said thermostatic bar for closing the normally open gas regulating valve, and. means including a normally closed electric switch forming a part of the igniting device and operated by the thermostatic bar for automatically controlling said igniting device and thereby controlling the temperature of the water while the first named switch remains closed, said valves and thermostatic barbeing arranged in alinement to operate in the same general direction.

2. In combination with a water circulating system including therein a water heater and a water faucet, a normally closed valve in the side of the system connected to the inlet of the heater and adapted to be opened by varying pressures at opposite sides thereof produced by the opening of the faucet, a

gas burner for the heater, means operated by the valve forcontrolling the supply of gas to the burner, an electric. igniting device for the gasgincluding an electric circuit having a normally openswitch adapted to be closed by the opening of the valve, an electric signal circuit deriving current from the same source of electric energy as the first al .in proximity to the faucet and including therein a normally open electric switch adapted to be closed by the opening of. said valve simultaneously with the closing of the first named switch whereby the operator of the faucet may determine whether or not the igniting device is suificiently active to ignite the gas.-.

3. In combination with a water circulating systemincluding therein a water heater and a -faucet, a gas burner for heating the water in theheater, a valve controlling the of the water circulating system influenced by varying temperatures of water therein, I imity to the faucet, said switch being alsoslo means actuated by the thermostat for sepaoperated by the thermostat.

rateiy controlling the operation of said In witness whereof I have hereunto set vallve, an electric igniting deg ice for the gag my hand on this 1st day of June 1911.

inc udin an e ectric circuit avin a switc operated by the thermostat, and En electric GRAFTON APPL signal circuit deriving current from the Witnesses: same source of electricenergy as the first H. F- CHASE, named circuit and having its signal in prox- E. F. SPEAKING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for in mm each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

i Washington, D. G. 

